Forums · Fresh Food Safety - no spinach, and...
The safety of our foods, especially fresh foods, is really a concern these days. There are so many ways to contaminate foods from the field to our plates, I decided to look up some helpful information on how we can better protect ourselves. Many of us are probably doing some of these things, but I know I learned a couple of new tricks by reading from the following URL locations. I wanted to post this in hopes of keeping as many people safe at SpiritKeep as possible! {{hugs}}
Here are some of the sites I found helpful:
http://ucanr.org/spotlight/foodsafety.shtml[/URL]
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/aidseat.html[/URL]
http://www.nubella.com/content/view/2231/56/[/URL]
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3500.htm[/URL]
http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile59.stm[/URL]
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/fs/emergency.html[/URL]
Hope this will give you some new tips, too!!!
Stay healthy!
Mare
Here are some of the sites I found helpful:
http://ucanr.org/spotlight/foodsafety.shtml[/URL]
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/aidseat.html[/URL]
http://www.nubella.com/content/view/2231/56/[/URL]
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3500.htm[/URL]
http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile59.stm[/URL]
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/fs/emergency.html[/URL]
Hope this will give you some new tips, too!!!
Stay healthy!
Mare
Thank you Mare!
I can't say it enough, we need to be careful with our food.
I taught for 10 years (part-time) for the National Restaurant Association, Food Safety.
Many years ago, the bacteria and virus's that I taught about you didn't hear much about. As the years go by you hear more and more and they are becoming more prevalent in our society.
You also hit it on the head about cross-contamination. You can carry an infection from your hands to the table, the cutting board to other fresh foods, etc. All I can say is wash, wash, wash! Your hands, don't use the same utensil, cutting board (any surface) for one food then another.
Sorry, not meaning to ramble but this is something very dear to my heart. My students used to say after taking my class they couldn't eat for days and it changed how they handled their food at home.
Good job Mare! =)
Hugs,
Peggy
I can't say it enough, we need to be careful with our food.
I taught for 10 years (part-time) for the National Restaurant Association, Food Safety.
Many years ago, the bacteria and virus's that I taught about you didn't hear much about. As the years go by you hear more and more and they are becoming more prevalent in our society.
You also hit it on the head about cross-contamination. You can carry an infection from your hands to the table, the cutting board to other fresh foods, etc. All I can say is wash, wash, wash! Your hands, don't use the same utensil, cutting board (any surface) for one food then another.
Sorry, not meaning to ramble but this is something very dear to my heart. My students used to say after taking my class they couldn't eat for days and it changed how they handled their food at home.
Good job Mare! =)
Hugs,
Peggy
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
That's one habit I picked up in a big way from working in restaurants. Wash, wash, wash. When I cook I wash my hands very frequently. It's a great habit.
Yeah, Peg, some of those diseases are incredibly scary. I like seafood and that flesh eating bacteria always enters my mind when I prepare seafood.![[Thud]](graemlins/thud.gif)
Thanks Mare. With the food industry pushing and getting weakened regulations we're going to see more and more issues like this with the spinach. We have an issue now with an inedible/experimental rice strain that made it into our food rice. The FDA is choosing to let it go rather than protect the people. Japan and most (or all) of Europe has banned rice imports from the US. Not to mention the USDA horrific handling of mad cow disease.
We have to be very careful with our food. And if possible buy organic, local or local/organic.
Yeah, Peg, some of those diseases are incredibly scary. I like seafood and that flesh eating bacteria always enters my mind when I prepare seafood.
Thanks Mare. With the food industry pushing and getting weakened regulations we're going to see more and more issues like this with the spinach. We have an issue now with an inedible/experimental rice strain that made it into our food rice. The FDA is choosing to let it go rather than protect the people. Japan and most (or all) of Europe has banned rice imports from the US. Not to mention the USDA horrific handling of mad cow disease.
We have to be very careful with our food. And if possible buy organic, local or local/organic.
Peg, I hve heard about rinsing fresh produce in a weak chlorine bleach solution before preparing... is this a good thing to do, and if so, how do you do it? It scares me, too, to buy things from the Asian market near us, like rice noodles, and fish sauce. I guess all we can do is just cook things well and hope for the best? I find it scary, especially with my husband having celiac sprue, which means his small intestine is very touchy about things, and we certainly don't want a flare-up.
We buy organic Basmati Rice from India, and have used it for years, but that is no guarantee it will always be good. My husband MUST have rice as a large part of his diet (it's a major ingredient in the bread he eats, not to mention his pizza crusts, crackers, cookies, and rice as a side dish or casserole ingredient). I worry about this, but so far, we haven't had any problems. Maybe because it is cooked at high temperatures kind of helps, and we are careful to put away leftovers in a timely manner.
I am so angry with the USDA, which is so like the rest of our do-nothing for the people government. It just makes me sick to think about it all.
Take care, and thanks for responding! I just wanted to help people by giving a heads up on just how bad our food is getting.
Mare
We buy organic Basmati Rice from India, and have used it for years, but that is no guarantee it will always be good. My husband MUST have rice as a large part of his diet (it's a major ingredient in the bread he eats, not to mention his pizza crusts, crackers, cookies, and rice as a side dish or casserole ingredient). I worry about this, but so far, we haven't had any problems. Maybe because it is cooked at high temperatures kind of helps, and we are careful to put away leftovers in a timely manner.
I am so angry with the USDA, which is so like the rest of our do-nothing for the people government. It just makes me sick to think about it all.
Take care, and thanks for responding! I just wanted to help people by giving a heads up on just how bad our food is getting.
Mare
Mare, thank you for the helpful information! Peg, I couldn't agree with you more. I have such a bad habit of not washing fruit. ![[Sigh]](graemlins/ohwell.gif)
I'm getting much better and do indeed wash more then I used to. I think it comes from when I was younger, my parents grew their own grapes and strawberries for awhile. As kids we'd just pull them off the vines or pick the strawberries from the patch and eat 'em with no worry to insecticides and what not.
It's scary when you really think about what our food goes through by the time it gets to us. What's even scarier is the fact that there is so much about the process that we don't know.
I'm getting much better and do indeed wash more then I used to. I think it comes from when I was younger, my parents grew their own grapes and strawberries for awhile. As kids we'd just pull them off the vines or pick the strawberries from the patch and eat 'em with no worry to insecticides and what not. It's scary when you really think about what our food goes through by the time it gets to us. What's even scarier is the fact that there is so much about the process that we don't know.
Hi everyone,
Mare, bleach can be used in cleaning anything. The problem is that you get the chlorine smell AND people not using it in the correct concentration. So its not suggested to use it.
Hot water and soap is the best and cannot be beat at cleaning anything. People that use those hand sanitizers out now use them instead of actually washing their hands. 99% of germs are destroyed by washing with hot water and a good soap!
There is a fairly new vegetable and fruit wash in the stores call "Fit." Which is used in alot of restaurants, homes. What I do is before I prepare any fresh vegetable or fruit I soak them for 1/2 hour in salt water in a bowl, then clean them off with a brush. Not to sound to gross, but try it once with a head of broccoli or cauliflower and see what rises to the top? Do make sure that after you wash off all the salt.
Cooking kills most bacteria and virus. One of the most prevelant ones not killled by anything is Botulism. It lives with or without air and hot or cold. You usually only worry about Botulism in canning........thats why I don't home can. It scares me.
Just keeping things clean, like the black stuff on your fridge gaskets, around drains, etc is a deadly bacteria called Listeria.
When you think of the "abuse" our food goes through before it makes it to the consumer? According to the CDC, most fresh foods have a 4 hour abuse time limit. That time starts with picking, slaughtering, what have you. How its handled througout the whole process to get to the consumer adds up. By the time we get it in our homes that 4 hours it all but used up.
Its not only washing but time and temperature that play a huge factor in serving safe food. Most foods, beef, chicken, pork and any other high in proteins, whole or mixed in like part of a casserole, have a cook temp of 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds and a holding of 140-150 degrees. Which means that your roast (or whatever) much reach as a whole (taking different temps in different areas) 165 degrees and hold that for 15 seconds to kill most bacteria and virus. All food has some bacteria and as it cools and gets in the danger zone 70-120 degrees bacteria begins to grow again. In 12 hours one bacteria cell can become millions!
Yes, I am picky where I eat. I do not have a problem sending food back that I don't feel it hot enough! And if I see anything unsanitary, such as employee's horse playing around, touching their faces or dropping things on the floor, I point it out!
Honestly, when I think back as a kid on how my Mom made meals........hamburger sitting on the drain board all day to defrost? Scares me!
For meats, use fresh is the best. If frozen, the only safe way to defrost is in your microwave and then use immediately or under cold running water.
Veggies, wash, wash, wash.
Don't use dented or swollen cans. When cans become dented they could have actually torn and let air in and if they are swollen its a sure sign that its infected.
Be careful of expiration dates. I can't even begin to count how many times I have taken food products up to the register with me to point out they were expired. One experience, and I stopped shopping at the store, I found several kids lunch packs expired. I took them to the register, I had looked through all of them and took about 20 up front. The next day I went in and checked and they were all back on the shelf.......all of them. I took them back up and explained myself and left my cart at the front!
Like I said, whats getting scary is even 10 years ago most of these bacteria and virus were mainly found in third wolrd countries that have now found their way here to us. E Coli isn't from here. The Norwalk Virus, the cruise ships have been getting that left and right, did first begin here in Norwalk around 1972. ( They have now given it a new name, do they think we're dumb or what?) And now that this virus is around the world in a bit more than 30 years, it started by a resaurant employee not washing his/her hands after using the restroom.
I could go on and on! If anyone has any questions feel free to ask me. I would be glad to answer. Not just blowing smoke here. I went back to school and got my sanitairans license before I began teaching the NRA's course. You can buy the training book online. Its not exciting reading but very informative!
Oh, any dried foods, pasta's, rices, etc have the lowest chance of infection or illness UNTIL you add water. Thats due to the ph level. Just as, again you find low infection and illness in foods that are high in acid, tomatoes, lemons, etc. until they are again mixed with other foods and it drops their acidty and brings up the ph.
I hope that I haven't confused you LOL! Just be careful and don't forget to wash! Also, buy a thermometer for the house. Get a time chart for cooking and follow it.
Ok, I am now starting to feel like rambling! Hope this helps.
Hugs,
Peggy
Mare, bleach can be used in cleaning anything. The problem is that you get the chlorine smell AND people not using it in the correct concentration. So its not suggested to use it.
Hot water and soap is the best and cannot be beat at cleaning anything. People that use those hand sanitizers out now use them instead of actually washing their hands. 99% of germs are destroyed by washing with hot water and a good soap!
There is a fairly new vegetable and fruit wash in the stores call "Fit." Which is used in alot of restaurants, homes. What I do is before I prepare any fresh vegetable or fruit I soak them for 1/2 hour in salt water in a bowl, then clean them off with a brush. Not to sound to gross, but try it once with a head of broccoli or cauliflower and see what rises to the top? Do make sure that after you wash off all the salt.
Cooking kills most bacteria and virus. One of the most prevelant ones not killled by anything is Botulism. It lives with or without air and hot or cold. You usually only worry about Botulism in canning........thats why I don't home can. It scares me.
Just keeping things clean, like the black stuff on your fridge gaskets, around drains, etc is a deadly bacteria called Listeria.
When you think of the "abuse" our food goes through before it makes it to the consumer? According to the CDC, most fresh foods have a 4 hour abuse time limit. That time starts with picking, slaughtering, what have you. How its handled througout the whole process to get to the consumer adds up. By the time we get it in our homes that 4 hours it all but used up.
Its not only washing but time and temperature that play a huge factor in serving safe food. Most foods, beef, chicken, pork and any other high in proteins, whole or mixed in like part of a casserole, have a cook temp of 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds and a holding of 140-150 degrees. Which means that your roast (or whatever) much reach as a whole (taking different temps in different areas) 165 degrees and hold that for 15 seconds to kill most bacteria and virus. All food has some bacteria and as it cools and gets in the danger zone 70-120 degrees bacteria begins to grow again. In 12 hours one bacteria cell can become millions!
Yes, I am picky where I eat. I do not have a problem sending food back that I don't feel it hot enough! And if I see anything unsanitary, such as employee's horse playing around, touching their faces or dropping things on the floor, I point it out!
Honestly, when I think back as a kid on how my Mom made meals........hamburger sitting on the drain board all day to defrost? Scares me!
For meats, use fresh is the best. If frozen, the only safe way to defrost is in your microwave and then use immediately or under cold running water.
Veggies, wash, wash, wash.
Don't use dented or swollen cans. When cans become dented they could have actually torn and let air in and if they are swollen its a sure sign that its infected.
Be careful of expiration dates. I can't even begin to count how many times I have taken food products up to the register with me to point out they were expired. One experience, and I stopped shopping at the store, I found several kids lunch packs expired. I took them to the register, I had looked through all of them and took about 20 up front. The next day I went in and checked and they were all back on the shelf.......all of them. I took them back up and explained myself and left my cart at the front!
Like I said, whats getting scary is even 10 years ago most of these bacteria and virus were mainly found in third wolrd countries that have now found their way here to us. E Coli isn't from here. The Norwalk Virus, the cruise ships have been getting that left and right, did first begin here in Norwalk around 1972. ( They have now given it a new name, do they think we're dumb or what?) And now that this virus is around the world in a bit more than 30 years, it started by a resaurant employee not washing his/her hands after using the restroom.
I could go on and on! If anyone has any questions feel free to ask me. I would be glad to answer. Not just blowing smoke here. I went back to school and got my sanitairans license before I began teaching the NRA's course. You can buy the training book online. Its not exciting reading but very informative!
Oh, any dried foods, pasta's, rices, etc have the lowest chance of infection or illness UNTIL you add water. Thats due to the ph level. Just as, again you find low infection and illness in foods that are high in acid, tomatoes, lemons, etc. until they are again mixed with other foods and it drops their acidty and brings up the ph.
I hope that I haven't confused you LOL! Just be careful and don't forget to wash! Also, buy a thermometer for the house. Get a time chart for cooking and follow it.
Ok, I am now starting to feel like rambling! Hope this helps.
Hugs,
Peggy
Hi,
I also caught half of on the news about spinach again, Kelly brand?
What is shocking me, is that we rely on USDA to inform us of a products integrity......which USDA is the highest?
Its also bothering me that the infected veggies are from our country.........not imported.
Yes, be very careful. Wash.
Hugs,
Peggy
I also caught half of on the news about spinach again, Kelly brand?
What is shocking me, is that we rely on USDA to inform us of a products integrity......which USDA is the highest?
Its also bothering me that the infected veggies are from our country.........not imported.
Yes, be very careful. Wash.
Hugs,
Peggy
Peg, thanks a million for all the information! That will be really helpful to many of us. I am just really going to miss my salads... I love them, and eat them a lot now, especially after being diagnosed as a diabetic. I am a veggie and fruit eater now, with not much meat. I am about ready to grow and process my own lettuce & spinach! It's just getting too dangerous out there in the food industries.
I found this neat site that may be a good answer for anyone like me who wants to grow their own produce/plants. At least you would have control over the safe handling of your foods! I would even love some of these special lights for growing flowers, too! There is a broad range of prices, depending on what a person wants to spend to try it out. In Arizona, it is just too hard to grow plants in the windows, because the sun (and even the heat from indirect sun) just bakes the plants. This would be a better bet for here in the Southwest, and for up North, for those who want to grow things during winter. =) Have a look at this:
BuyPlantLights.com[/URL]
Mare
I found this neat site that may be a good answer for anyone like me who wants to grow their own produce/plants. At least you would have control over the safe handling of your foods! I would even love some of these special lights for growing flowers, too! There is a broad range of prices, depending on what a person wants to spend to try it out. In Arizona, it is just too hard to grow plants in the windows, because the sun (and even the heat from indirect sun) just bakes the plants. This would be a better bet for here in the Southwest, and for up North, for those who want to grow things during winter. =) Have a look at this:
BuyPlantLights.com[/URL]
Mare